New app helps mother raise awareness for stillbirths

Tragedy and a shared experience brought five Iowa mothers together to help other women prevent stillbirths and infant deaths.

Kate Safris of Johnston lost her daughter in 2001, just eight days after giving birth. Her daughter was born with congenital heart defects.

"It was needless to say a very lonely time," Safris said. "I really wanted to connect with someone who had lived through it."

Then in 2003 Safris met another mother dealing with the loss of a child. A call from a friend led her to meet Tiffan Yamen of Waukee, whom had just lost her daughter to a stillbirth. After having a cesarean section, Yamen was in the hospital wondering if she was the only one going through the pain.

All of the five mothers were told that stillbirths and infant deaths were rare. After doing research, they found that about 1 in 160 babies is stillborn.

"We went from getting through our losses … to the point where we felt we needed to advocate on behalf of the daughters we lost," Safris said.

That was the start of the first friendship that would eventually become Healthy Birth Day, a nonprofit Safris, Yamen and three other started. All five mothers have either experiences a stillbirth or an infant death.

"I think really, the five of us connected to get through our own losses and subsequent pregnancies," Safris said. "That friendship became a cause."

"We always tell people we're part of a club we never want to bring numbers into," Yamen said.

The quintet set out to help other women understand and learn about stillbirths. When they began they started small, passing out pamphlets and other resources. Eventually they knew they wanted to expand their endeavors outside Iowa.

Now, they're launching a mobile app to help mother monitor the movement of their child in the third trimester.

Count the Kicks is a free app that allows mothers to track the movements of their baby to see if any changes are happening, or the if the baby is slowing down.

In October, the group launched a web-based version of the app. Safris said the group has been working on the app for about a year now. The idea was that it be free and accessible.

"Every mom has a cellphone these days," Safris said. The application removes the need for a paper brochure and puts the materials right in the palm of moms' hands.

This Count the Kicks campaign was built to help educate women about the importance of tracking the movement of the baby during the third trimester.

"Our goal has never been to make it a scary campaign," Safris said. "We think it's empowering, as a mom, to have the ability, to one, bond with your baby, and some data to give your doctor."

The app, which is now available for download in the Apple and Google Play app stores, and Healthy Birth Day are ways for the mothers to continue to care for the children they lost.